The Jellyfish Accident
by Dulali
Summary: In the Foster's episode "Squeeze the Day," the gang purposely left Bloo behind at Foster's so they could enjoy a day at the beach without his annoyance. However, at the end of the episode, we discover that Frankie comes home terribly mad at Wilt, but why? Find out in this short story, "The Jellyfish Accident." Rated T, just to be safe, for mild adult content.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is my version of the whole "Jellyfish Accident" that occurred during the "meanwhile" of the episode "Squeeze The Day." Since the conclusion of the beach trip was pretty much ambiguous, there has been plenty of speculation about what happened exactly. All of this speculation, as well and a bit of fanart I have seen, gave me the inspiration to write a short story of what happened to lead to the so-called disaster involving Wilt and a bunch of jellyfish. Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends and related characters © Craig McCracken and Cartoon Network. **

"Co co co cococo co cococo," jabbered the strange airplane-bird imaginary friend as she walked past Wilt, who was sitting on some wooden steps in a pair of green swim shorts.

"I know I'm already red, Coco, but I still need to put on sunscreen. I'll get sunburned if I don't!" Wilt explained as he lathered sunscreen onto his right arm as best as he could with his stumpy left arm. Some footsteps caused his sunscreen bottle to fall over.

"Oh, I'm sorry Wilt," a familiar, feminine voice said. It was Frankie, who, at the moment, had her arms very full of inflatable beach toys, towels, and a bunch of other random junk.

"Oh no, I'M sorry!" Wilt affirmed as he rose to his feet and quickly attempted to help her with her oversized load. "Let me help you with that."

As soon as Frankie got to the bottom of the steps, she let the conglomerate of items fall to the ground, a few toys squeaking as they made impact. "That's okay, Wilt. I made it." She wiped the sweat from her forehead with a "Whew," and turned around to address the crowd of imaginary friends that were on their way to the beach from the bus. However, something caught her eye first. "Geez, Wilt, what a mess!"

"What?" Wilt questioned, looking downwards and searching for the object of Frankie's apparent dilemma.

"Your arm! You're never gonna get that sunscreen rubbed in."

Wilt's pupil drifted over to his right arm, which was, indeed, caked with a mess of sunscreen. "Oh, that, I-"

"Here, let me get that." Before Wilt could even finish his sentence, Frankie's little hands were sliding up and down his long, red arm, dispersing the cream and rubbing it into his skin.

Wilt felt his cheeks flush, and he hoped that Frankie didn't notice. Surely she didn't; red was his natural color, after all. "Ah, Frankie, you really don't have to do that," he said, fighting to keep a modest smile from turning into a goofy, embarrassed grin.

"Here, sit down," she said with a tug on his arm, and he plopped back down on his bottom. "With one arm, you're going to wear yourself out putting all of this on," she added as she squirted out more thick sunscreen into her hand and slapped it onto Wilt's back, which made him jump in surprise. "What's with all of these goosebumps on your back?" She said as she spread the cream out with her hands.

Wilt choked out a very uncomfortable laugh. "Well, uh, it is pretty breezy!" He rocked back and forth from the pressure of Frankie's hands on his back. The fact is, _she_ is what gave him the chills. After a while of Frankie massaging the cream into Wilt's back, his goosebumps faded, and, just as Wilt's eyes started to roll back with pleasure from the massage, Mr. Herriman's voice rang out on a loudspeaker from somewhere around where the bus was parked.

"Miss Francis! Will you please quit dawdling and assist the rest of the friends with their beach equipment!?"

The heavenly feeling of Frankie's soft hands on his back halted, and he heard her yell back at the rabbit, "All right, already! I said I would, sheesh!" She got back up from her knees, and wiped her hands on her skirt. "Sorry, Wilt. I'd help you out more, but you heard Mr. Demandy Pants."

_She would have done more_? Wilt thought, then shook his head out of the lull that Frankie had put him in. "Oh, it's okay, Frankie, I can do the rest myself. I really appreciate the help. Any more, and you would have had me spoiled rotten!"

"Oh, no problem," replied Frankie with a laugh, digging through the pile of toys and things in front of her, and then handing what she had picked up to one of the imaginary friends from the bus. As Wilt sat on the bottom steps of the boardwalk and rubbed sunscreen onto his spindly legs, he watched Frankie organizing and dealing out the beach supplies to the growing line of friends from Foster's. The poor girl hadn't even had the time to put on her swimsuit yet. It _was_ her job to put the well-being of the friends first, and to make sure that everyone was accounted for, but he didn't feel right leaving her there with all of that work she had to do, especially after she helped him put on sunscreen, so he got up and decided to stick around for a while and make conversation.

"So, uh... do ya think you'll do any swimmin' in the ocean today?"

"Nah, probably not this time. Not with all of those nasty jellyfish in the shallows. It's that time of the year, again. Luckily, though, they're not washing up on the beach yet, so hopefully I'll have time to get some sun." Another friend came up, and Frankie bent down and scooped up another couple of items. "Knowing my luck, though, as soon as I'm finished with all of this, I won't even have enough time to put on my bikini!"

For some reason, the mention of a bikini took Wilt's breath away, and he just stood there with his mouth agape, looking down at her, but Frankie didn't see.

"I dunno," Frankie continued with a sigh. "I probably won't even put it on anyways. If I even have the time, I'll just lay out in my tank top and shorts. I won't be getting in the water anyways." She thought about that for a moment, and then looked back towards the bus with a smirk. "Man, if I could just have ONE day to relax. Is that really so much to ask for?"

"Well, um... Why don't I just help you make sure everyone gets their stuff, and then you can get out on the beach faster."

"Thanks, Wilt, but I can handle this on my own. Besides, you need to get out there and have some fun yourself."

"No, Frankie, I insist." Wilt stepped forward and reached like he was going to pick up something from the pile of beach things. "I don't mind at all, really!"

"Wilt, just don't worry about it, okay? It would make me happier to know that you were out there enjoying yourself."

"Well... if that's what would make you happy... are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure."

"Man, you are such a nice and selfless person. I wish I could be that nice and selfless."

"Honestly, Wilt, you are way more selfless and nice than I am."

"Nah, I wouldn't say that..."

"Listen, I am far from being as kind as you are. I mean, I _really_ don't want to be doing all of this. If I could tell Mr. Herriman how I really felt about going through all of this crap right now, they'd need some editors to bleep out most of my words! Trust me, Wilt, my real feelings don't always show on the outside."

"Frankie, I'm sorry, but if you dislike it that much, then why won't you let me help you?"

"I already told you. I want you to go and have fun like everyone else like you deserve to. I know you'd way rather be out on the beach than here helping me sort through all of this stuff."

"No I wouldn't. I'd rather be here with you. Uh, helping you."

"Why?"

Wilt paused for a moment, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well... because...I..." His eyes wandered up to the clouds in the sky, in search for words. He looked back at Frankie, and replied with nothing but a speechless laugh.

"Oh yeah, duh!" She said, slapping her forehead. "How could I forget. You LOVE to help people. But still, I'd rather you go and have some time for yourself out in the sun."

Wilt had to admit that she was right about him loving to help people, but if it were anyone else besides Frankie who was helping to hand out everyone's towels and various beach items, he probably wouldn't have wanted to help out. "Well, yeah, I mean, I guess..."

"Just get out there and have fun, okay? Hey, it looks like Eduardo is out there by himself. Why don't you go and help him build a sandcastle for his toy dolls or something?"

Wilt's expression didn't change, but Frankie saw a bit of gusto fade from his eye. "Well, I... Uh..." He looked down and scratched the back of his head. Building sandcastles and playing dolls with a twenty-plus year-old crybaby wasn't exactly his idea of a fun day at the beach. After he stuttered around for some kind of response, Frankie started giggling.

"I was just _kidding_. You know that, right?"

Wilt's mouth opened as he was about to respond, and then he paused. He always took her commands seriously, and he had taken this one seriously, too, even if that particular errand would have taken a shot at his masculinity. Being the friend he was, he would do anything. Anything for _Frankie_, that is. "Oh, uh, yeah!" He said with a chuckle afterwards. "I... I knew that..."

Frankie couldn't help but laugh again, having a feeling that Wilt thought for sure that she expected him to go and play dolls with Ed. "You are really something, Wilt," she giggled, wiping her forehead. "Why don't you sneak up to the tiki bar over at that hotel's poolside and get yourself a nice cold margarita? You look like you could use one."

Wilt beamed. He was as level-headed and virtuous as an imaginary friend could be, but he still enjoyed a nice hard beverage every now and again. "You know, I think I just might. Thanks, Frankie." As soon as he turned around and made one step, he froze, and then looked back. "Um, about that..."

"I won't tell Mr. Herriman," she responded immediately. She knew that everyone in the house knew about how Mr. Herriman felt about alcohol. "Just make sure he doesn't see you with a suspicious-looking glass in your hand!"

Wilt shook his head. "Oh, no, he won't!" He chuckled in a bit of a nervous tone. "Thanks for covering for me, Frankie."

"Anytime, Wilt," The red-haired young lady said with a smile, temporarily forgetting to hand the next imaginary friend in line their beach supplies. "Hey, I'll see you, okay? Out on the beach."

Wilt froze again in his tracks, and glanced back at Frankie, whose words had made a smile spread across his face. "Um, yeah... okay." With that, he continued on his way up the boardwalk, ascending the steps that led up to the poolside tiki bar.

Wilt's big, bare feet kicked through the soft, white sand. He had made his way back onto the beach, and he was still enjoying the special little treat that he had picked up from the nearby tiki bar. He sipped from a straw the icy liquid that colored the plastic cup a pale yellow. He could have chosen a salty glass, but he wasn't going to take any chances with Mr. Herriman. Who knows what would happen if he got caught with a drink like that. He knew he had little chance of being caught, though. It could be anything in that cup; lemonade, punch. He just smiled and took another sip. He didn't have a care in the world. A few yards away, Wilt spotted an empty chair. _Perfect_, he thought.

"Señor Wilt!" A gruff voice shouted.

Wilt stopped in his tracks, and practically cringed, having a feeling that something undesirable was about to be asked of him. He dared to look back, and sure enough, it was Eduardo, sitting amongst piles of sand and big, white buckets.

"Señor Wilt, look at these giant sandcastles I make!" The big purple monster said with his arms spread wide in presentation.

Wilt was actually pretty surprised. "Wow, Eduardo, that's great!" He exclaimed in praise, as everyone did for Eduardo, who had the maturity of a 6-year-old. "How did you get the sandcastles to be that big?"

Eduardo turned around from his sitting position on his beach towel, and grabbed a huge, white bucket and held it up for Wilt to see. "I use these big, what you say, in-DUS-tree-AL size buckets!" He couldn't have been more proud of himself. "I no make little baby sandcastle, I make BIG, STRONG, Eduardo-size sandcastle!"

"Yes, they are pretty big and strong," Wilt agreed, and then winced a bit. "Uh, too... big and... manly for a bunch of toy dolls, right?" Wilt added with a nervous grin, hoping Eduardo wouldn't mention playing with those silly toys for little girls.

"Oh, no!" Eduardo rebutted with a smile, and then pulled a lovely blonde doll out from behind him. "Giant sandcastle make muy special beach house mansion for Darby Dream Gal! You want to play?"

"Uhm..." Wilt drew back a bit. "Are you sure you wouldn't just want to... go for a swim in the ocean? The tide is pretty calm right now."

Eduardo gasped. "No no no no no no NO!" He repeated, hugging himself in fear. "Ocean es too big and scary! And Eduardo no know how to swim! And there es...sharks... in the ocean."

"There's nothing to worry about Eduardo. That's what lifeguards are for; they keep an eye out for sharks. Just stay in the shallow water, and you'll be-"

A scream cut Wilt's reassuring words short, and a child came running past them. "Mommy, mommy! There's a bunch of yucky, scary fish in the water!"

Eduardo gasped again, even louder this time. "SEE! I TELL YOU!" Eduardo yelled as he pointed a hoofed hand at Wilt. "THERE ES SHARKS IN THE WATER!" And with that, Eduardo covered his head with his beach towel and squalled in terror.

"No, Ed, it's okay!" Wilt reassured once again, "That kid probably just saw a jellyfish, that's all, there's a bunch of them out there. They're perfectly harmless... as long as you don't touch 'em." Wilt glanced over at the big, blue ocean, where the jellyfish culprits would be, and was reminded of something. He looked the other way, towards the boardwalk, and saw Frankie. She was still there, making sure the residents of the house got what they needed to have a fun and safe day at the beach.

Eduardo sniffed, and then muttered, "Jellyfish not as bad as shark. But STILL scary!"

Wilt looked at Frankie and the long line that she still had to serve, and then looked back at the ocean. He glared at the big blue just like a sheriff in the old west would have glared at a gunslinger on the wrong side of the law. "I've GOT to do something about those jellyfish."

Eduardo looked confused. "Que?"

"Look," Wilt began to explain in a serious-sounding tone, "If I don't do something about those jellyfish, Frankie won't wear her bikini!" As soon as he finished that sentence, he bit his lip after he realized what he had just said. "I mean, uh..." He strangled a chuckle that worked its way up his throat, and he almost let loose and laughed out loud at what he had blurted out, because he knew that Ed wouldn't get what he really meant anyways. However, he managed to keep it together. "See, I'm sure Frankie's burning up in that shirt. I mean, it's hot out here, wouldn't ya say?" He fanned himself to emphasize the heat.

Eduardo pondered that for a moment, and then nodded. "Uh, si. Hace sol."

"Yeah," Wilt replied, although he wasn't exactly positive of what Eduardo had said. "Well, I'm going to go sit over there for a while, and drink my... uh... drink."

"Wait!" Shouted Eduardo. "Why don't you sit here, with us?" Ed picked up a red-headed doll and faced her towards Wilt. "And you can share your lemonade with _her_! Her dress matches your shorts."

Wilt laughed a bit and turned down the offer as kindly as possible. "Um, no thanks, Ed. Maybe some other time. I'm gonna go sit over in that chair for a while and think."


	2. Chapter 2

_How in the world can I clear out all of those jellyfish?_ Wilt thought to himself as he sipped the last bit of his drink through a straw. As impossible sounding as it was, he was determined to make this the best day at the beach _ever _for a certain someone. The only idea that came to mind was to use a big fisherman's net to round up the gelatinous suckers, but he didn't have a net, nor did he have time to walk to the nearest bait and tackle supply shop to get one. He looked over the shoreline from his position in the collapsible chair, hoping for an epiphany, or at least some sort of inspiration. The only thing that vaguely caught his attention was a volleyball net, but there were people playing ball, and it wasn't hardly big enough for a jellyfish-wrangling job anyways.

_Man, if there was just some way that I could fish them out... some way I could contain them_, he thought, tapping the side of his drink cup. To check for any leftover liquid that might have collected at the bottom of the cup, he shook it. It didn't produce a sloshing sound, or the grating sound of ice, but he did hear somewhat of a "plink." He lifted the cup in front of his face, and gave it another shake. He noticed something roll around at the bottom of the container, and popped the lid open to get a better look. Inside was a bright red strawberry that had escaped his attention beforehand. He examined it for a few seconds, and then made it roll around a bit by tilting the cup back and forth. After a few seconds more, his good eye widened in an instant. "That's it!"

Without further thought, the gangly red being leapt from his chair and ran towards the hustle and bustle of the beach. He quickly returned to his chair, though, and retrieved his drinking cup; he wasn't about to litter. Wilt took the cup, and pitched it towards the nearest garbage can on the beach, acing a 3-point worthy shot.

After disposing of the cup, Wilt ran across the beach as if he were in transition on a basketball court. "I sure hope Eduardo's finished building those sand castles," he panted as he made long strides across the sandy beach.

"Eduardo!" Wilt called, sounding a little winded in his breath as he approached the purple, monstrous friend.

With a toy doll in each hand, Eduardo looked up at Wilt who now towered over him."Hola again, mi amigo! You decide to play picnic now?" He made gestures with the dolls as he spoke.

"I'm sorry, but that's not it," he said, looking off to the side, and then back. "I just wanted to ask something of you. Do you think I could borrow those buckets you have there? Just for a little while? I mean, if that's okay."

"Oh, si! You want to make sandcastle also."

"Well, no... not exactly," Wilt responded in a bit of an uneasy tone, whilst wringing his hand with what was left of his left arm. He wasn't sure what Ed would think of his idea, and he was afraid that Ed wouldn't let him use the buckets for what he intended to use them for. _Nah, I can't ask Eduardo that, he might get mad at me, _Wilt thought to himself. On the list of things that were NOT okay to Wilt, having a friend mad at him was in the top tier. For a moment, he pondered just telling Ed to forget it, and then walk away.

_No. _Wilt thought again, stiffening his legs and standing up straight. _I've got to ask. _He HAD to do this. It was for Frankie, and he was _so_ going to make this the best day at the beach _ever_ for her. And, who knows, maybe the best day at the beach ever for _them... together_. Well, you never know!

"Ed," Wilt continued, with newfound confidence, "All those jellyfish that are out in the water are a real pain for all these people out here on the beach, and I wanted to know if I could borrow those buckets of yours to round 'em up. You know, to get 'em out of the water." He forced a smile and gritted his teeth, bracing himself for Ed's response.

Eduardo's jaw fell open. "Wow. Senor Wilt, you es so brave!"

Wilt was pleasantly surprised with this response, and his smile became more sincere. "Really? You think so?"

"Si! You es brave like a bullfighter. Only you fight jellyfish!" Eduardo flexed his muscles. "Wilt, the jellyfish fighter!" Promptly, the purple guy turned around and fetched the buckets in a stack for his friend. "Here you go."

"Gee, thanks Eduardo." Wilt picked up the stack of about five or six buckets from him, and tucked them under his right arm. "This is really gonna help me out. I seriously can't thank you enough."

"De nada. Es nothing." Eduardo responded, looking back down at his toy dolls that he had picked up again.

"Really, I mean, I don't know WHAT I would have done if I wasn't able to borrow these..." Wilt was about to go on another one of his typical thanking sprees he usually started when he was grateful for something, but he stopped himself in the middle of it, in realization that he didn't have time to drabble. "Wow, I really need to get going. Anyways, thanks again, Ed, I really appreciate it."

"No problemo!" Ed replied as Wilt walked past.

A content smile spread over Wilt's face as he made footprints towards the shore. He was well on his way, and boy, was he feeling good. He had this whole thing figured out. All he had to do was...

_Wait... _

Wilt stopped in his tracks, and stared into the ocean with parted lips. He felt coolness rush over his feet, and he looked down at the crystal clear water that then started to pull its way back into the ocean. He looked back up, up to the blue-green seascape, and stared again. After a moment, he began to rethink his plans.

_I've only got one arm... how am I going to catch jellyfish and hold buckets at the same time?_

Wilt seemed to sink into the sand, and it wasn't all due to the current of the water pulling the sand out from under his feet. Disappointment was written all over his face. He looked down once again; not at his feet, nor the buckets, but at himself, his imperfect, lopsided self. He had lived with this handicap of having one arm for a long time, and he was quite used to and comfortable with the limitations it came with, but this was different. This was getting in the way of helping someone he really cared about.

Wilt let loose a sigh, and slumped over, thinking of what he could do. He _could_ bring one bucket out into the ocean at a time, but it sure would be awfully hard to hold a heavy bucket full of water and jellyfish on his stumpy left arm while he had to use his right hand to catch the jellyfish with. After a few minutes of coming up with futile or just plain ridiculous ideas, he decided that he would just have to ask for help, and, right after he had made that decision, he spotted something floating a ways out in the water.

It was Coco, sitting on an inflatable water ring as if it were a nest. Heck, maybe she could help. Wilt's feet sloshed in the shallows as he made his way towards Coco. After a few steps, his gait turned into a trudge, his legs fighting against the small waves in the water. The sand was really cool and soft on his feet, and the water wasn't bad at all. Well, not until it got up to his waist. As soon as the water tickled his lower abdomen, the breath was sucked straight out of him. "Woo, man! That water is a lot chillier than I thought!" He drew his arm up to himself and refrained from taking any more steps, to allow his body to gradually get used to the big temperature change. "How's it goin', Coco?"

Coco turned her head that had been partially tucked under her wing, and answered Wilt. "Coco."

"It sure is nice out here in the ocean, isn't it?" Wilt commented as he examined his surroundings. "The sun's shining, there's a nice breeze blowin'..."

Just as Wilt was taking in all the beauty around him, Coco stood up from her life ring, revealing her skinny orange legs that were strangely spotted with swollen red whelks and bandages, and then looked at him sternly.

Wilt jumped, almost falling backwards into the water. "Oh my goodness, what is THAT?"

Coco looked down into the water, and pointed with one of her toes. "Co co cococo!"

"Those are jellyfish stings?! Don't you think you ought to be getting to a hospital or something for that?!"

"Co. Co cococo co co co cococo co."

"Wow, you actually developed a home remedy for jellyfish stings? Who knew somebody could be so productive while being stranded out on a deserted island. Did you tell those two... um... figmentologists about your discovery?"

Coco shrugged. "Co coco. Co co?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't think you should keep the ingredients to the cure a secret just so you could make money off of it," Wilt replied, uncrossing his arms, "I think that sort of information would help out a lot of people."

Coco didn't seem to care what Wilt thought, so she just sat down and cuddled back into her life ring. Wilt waited for her to say something, but she looked like she was about to drift off to sleep again, so he spoke up. "Hey, since you have so much experience with jellyfish, how about you help me get rid of 'em? I mean, not to say I would hurt them or anything, but, you know, I just want to get them out of the water so Frankie... and, uh, everybody else on the beach can enjoy it out here."

Coco's eyes opened up into a scowl. "Co co COCO?!"

"No, I'm not crazy!" Wilt defended, "I think it could work. See, I-"

"Co co co coco coco co coco co!" The tropical-looking imaginary friend prattled on for a minute, sounding quite scornful.

Wilt looked annoyed. "Well, fine then! I'll do it on my own. I'll show you!... If that's okay." He then turned around and walked away.

Wilt slowly splashed his way back to the shore, once again wearing a look of disappointment; his mouth looked as if it had been scribbled onto his face with a pen, and his shoulders were sunk down. Coco's words had discouraged him almost enough to just give up, but he had to try. He had to at _least_ try, but he still needed help. Wilt stopped where the water converged with the land, and he looked over the beach, which was full of friends from the house. His eyes darted amongst them, and he spoke as if he were searching for a particular file in a filing cabinet. _No... no... nope... nah..._

Wilt was never one to discriminate, but he needed someone that he could depend on to get the job done. Eduardo came to mind, but there was no way he was going to ask something of him again. He had already taken his buckets, and to ask him to help capture a bunch of terrifying jellyfish would all but absolutely freak him out. All the friends he saw were either too big, too small, too weak, or just too plain scaredy-cat to even attempt such a difficult feat such as jellyfish wrangling. Just as Wilt began to lose all hope, a deep voice called his name.

"Hey, Wilt!"

Wilt looked in the direction the voice came from, but he had difficulty discerning who had called to him.

"Hey, over here, Wilt!"

Wilt's eye homed in on a waving hand, a very small waving hand that belonged to none other than Jackie. Jackie Khones. The tiny, green fellow was sitting in a fold-out chair, sort of like the one that Wilt was sitting in earlier.

"Oh, hey! How ya doin' Jackie?" Wilt's disposition lightened up a bit as he walked over to the small friend. When Wilt had made his way over to Jackie, he noticed that he had quite a nice setup. He was in the shade of a large umbrella, and the chair that he was sitting in looked very comfortable; it was longer and made for reclining, and Jackie had evidently also ran the risk of getting caught with a drink, as he had a tall glass of something sitting next to him. The drink was as big as he was, and it had a loopy straw that was bent conveniently in such a way that he would be able to sip from it.

"Doin' good, Wilt. Doin' good," Jackie replied in his usual, chill voice, "Except for one thing. I'm runnin' low on juice. You think you could dance on up to the bar and get me some?"

Before Wilt could give his usual "Sure thing," something grabbed his attention. There were two women with Jackie, two human women, one to his left and one to his right. He hadn't noticed them initially, because there were so many chairs along the beach, and now he just automatically assumed that they were with him, due to the way the they were lounging in their beach chairs. They were both leaned over towards him, scantily clothed in bikinis, and they were both rather nice-looking. Wilt's eye went to one, and then the other. He didn't have any particular interest in them, but he did wonder how a little green stick like Jackie could hook up with a couple of chicks that looked like _that_. Just as Wilt was about to respond to Jackie, the little guy interrupted him.

"Oh! My, my, my. Jackie has gone and left his manners at the home. Allow me to introduce you to my two _lovely_ acquaintances." Jackie sat up from his position, and held out his arms in presentation. "This little lady right here is Stacey, and this one over here is Sasha."

Wilt smiled the same kind, welcoming smile as he always did when he met someone new. "Hey, nice to meet ya." He waved his hand in greeting. They giggled for whatever reason, and then Jackie spoke up again.

"And, ladies," Jackie continued, "This is my brotha from anotha motha, Wilt."

Both of the girls greeted him, but the one that Jackie had called Sasha, the one with brownish hair, sat up from her position. She rested her elbow on the chair's armrest, raised up her sunglasses, and said, "Well, he certainly is a _tall_ glass of water, isn't he?" She then laughed, prompting the other to laugh as well, saying, "Yes, he is."

Oh boy. Wilt didn't want any part of this. He wasn't one hundred percent sure of what they meant, but from past experience, he had an idea of what they were getting at. "Um, yeah..." Wilt said in an uncomfortable tone, looking around at everything but the two girls' faces, "Sure, I can get you all a glass of water when I go up to the bar."

After that statement, both of the girls laughed, as if on cue, and Sasha spoke again. "Isn't he the cutest, funniest little thing you've ever seen?"

Wilt drew back and flushed, biting his lip as he did. Sasha's statement caused Jackie to spring from his seat in protest. "Hey, I'M the one who's _little_, here!"

The blonde one, Stacey, leaned back over to Jackie and rubbed the side of his tiny arm with a single finger. "Oh, of course, Jackie, sweetie, of course," she consoled in a baby-talk voice, "It's just that we've never seen anyone so _tall_ before."

"Yeah," agreed Sasha, who rose from her seat and began to walk over towards the particular "glass of water" in question. "Look, I hardly come past his knees!" She did a quick spin around his legs as if they were some sort of pole.

Meanwhile, back at the boardwalk, Frankie was still doing her thing, passing out all of the necessities for a day at the beach to the last few friends from the house. Her legs were really tired now, and even her ponytail seemed to droop in weariness. "Here you go," she said, with a frown that had been on her face for a good thirty minutes, "Stay on the public part of the beach, wear a life jacket if you can't swim, obey what the lifeguard says, and don't forget to put on sunscreen." It was the same phrase over and over, and it had really become a drag.

The imaginary friend that she had handed the goods to, whose name was Scissors, noticed something out on the beach. "Whoa, hubba hubba! Check THAT out!" A few of the other male imaginary friends who were still in line whooped and made a few comments, and Frankie just rolled her eyes, and bent back down to pick up more items.

"That girl looks like she just stepped out of a magazine!" Another friend said, followed shortly by another, "Yeah, except Wilt wouldn't be in the picture."

Frankie instantly raised up. "What?" She looked at the guys, and then into the direction they were looking towards. "Where?" It didn't take long to spot Wilt, who stood at least around four feet taller than everyone else who was on the beach. She noticed his location, that he wasn't too far from the lifeguard's tower, and that he was with someone else. Someone who had apparently taken to him quite well. Frankie made an about-face and narrowed her eyes, examining the situation. "What the heck is that girl doing?"

Some imaginary friend behind Frankie responded, "I don't know, but I sure wouldn't mind for her to wrap her arms around _my_ legs like that!" That brought a few laughs to the others. Frankie didn't like the way that girl was rallying around Wilt, just the way she was communicating with him, her prancing... the way she was... holding onto his arm...

"Hold on a second," Frankie grumbled, suddenly sounding stern as she shoved a pile of junk into the arms of a large, green imaginary friend, who happened to be One-Eyed Cy, and then tromped away.

The few imaginaries stared in confusion for a moment as they watched Frankie walk away, and then Scissors spoke to One-Eyed Cy held the load of junk. "Here, let me have that inflatable recliner," he said, leaning over, and unclamping his scissor-like jaws.

Cy drew back. "Don't even think about it!"

Back over where Jackie had been lounging about with his two lady friends, Wilt was in a very uncomfortable situation. "You know, I've kind of got some things I've gotta do, if that's okay," he stated, with a tinge of agitation.

The girl who had been somewhat fascinated by him, Sasha, only tugged on his hand. "Come on, Wilt! Sit with us for a while; tell us a little about yourself."

Wilt's eye darted around. "Well, I, uh..." Before he could come up with an excuse, a voice disrupted all the chatter.

"I hope I'm not INTERRUPTING anything!"

Wilt, Sasha, Jackie, and Stacey all turned their heads to see who had just snapped at them. Oddly enough, Frankie stood there as stiff as a board, and with her hands clenched at her side. Wilt, still with that girl hanging onto his arm, was relieved that she had came. "Oh, hi Frankie! Did you finish up?" He said, referring to the job she hadn't yet finished earlier.

Frankie didn't answer immediately, but she did exchange a few glances with that one girl. "Well, yeah... Kind of," she said, with almost no emotion portrayed in her voice, and then she looked back up to Wilt. "What are you doing?"

Wilt didn't take much notice to her tone, and merely addressed the situation. "Jackie just introduced me to a couple of his friends. This here is Sasha, and her sitting right over there is Stacey."

Jackie realized that, for some reason, Frankie didn't seem too happy. "Somethin' wrong?"

"Well..." Frankie pursed her lips a bit, not entirely sure of what to say, "I was just... making sure you all weren't, you know, talking to strangers or anything." Right after she said that, she realized how dumb it sounded.

Even if it did sound a little strange for Frankie to be telling a couple of thirty plus year-old imaginary friends not to talk to strangers, Wilt didn't really think anything of it, since he knew Frankie always seemed to have the Foster's Residents' well-being first on her mind. "Thanks, Frankie, but we're okay. These girls seem to be really nice."

Frankie crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Sure they're not _too_ nice?" She glared at Sasha in particular. After a short silence and a lot of exchanging looks, a booming, yet cultured voice called for Frankie yet again.

"MISS FRANCIS!"

The redhead practically ducked from being startled. "Ugh, not again!" She growled in frustration, "I've gotta go." As she walked away, they could hear her yell something at Mr. Herriman. A long, awkward silence fell between the four.

"Well, that was weird," muttered Jackie.

It was silent for a few more moments, and then Sasha spoke up, who was still looking in the direction in which Frankie had left. "That... was so... sweet." She then let go of Wilt's arm, and looked up at him. "Is she your girlfriend or something?"

Wilt's pupil shrunk. _Girlfriend?_ He suddenly felt like he had turned even redder than he already was. "Um..." In speechlessness, he looked over at his old friend, Jackie, who only stood there with a smile and a hand over his mouth.

"Aw, and I thought you were so cute," Sasha sighed, and then walked back to reclaim her seat that was next to Jackie.

"Well," Jackie said leisurely as he stretched, "How about you chicky babies join me for lunch up at the bar? And if I'm feelin' generous, I might just split a sandwich with 'yall."

Sasha and Stacey looked at each other, both wearing a slight smirk, and then Stacey spoke up. "Um, nah, that's okay." Somehow, they had seemed to have become a bit disenchanted with the little green guy. "Me and Sasha were thinking earlier that we might row out into the ocean in one of those little canoes that you can rent." She reached behind her chair, and then pulled out a long oar that was tipped with a yellow paddle.

"Hey," Jackie said, standing up, "Ya think you two could wait a few minutes while I go eat, and then I could join you?"

The two girls looked at each other and gabbed for a second, and then Sasha answered. "Well, we've gotta get our nails done in about an hour, so we've kinda gotta get out there now." They then stood up, and Stacey rested the long oar over the back of her shoulders.

"Well, alright then," Jackie replied, and then looked up to his tall, red friend. "Yo, Wilt. Wanna have lunch with me up at the bar?"

"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't." Wilt glanced down at the buckets that were still tucked under his arm, and then back to Jackie. "See, I've gotta go try and find someone to help..." Just then, something caught Wilt's eye. It was that oar; that long, yellow-tipped oar that was rested on Stacey's shoulders. Wilt just stood there for a moment, examining it. Then, he looked at Stacey. "Um... could I see that, please?" He pointed to the oar.

"Uh, yeah, sure." Stacey slid the oar off of her shoulders, and then handed it up to Wilt. After a minute of turning the oar different ways and looking it over, he took a couple of buckets from the stack he had from under his arm, and sat them down on the ground, side by side with their handles upright. Then, he slid the oar right under each of the buckets' handles, and picked them up. _This just might work, _he thought, as he balanced the buckets on the oar from their handles. "Hey," Wilt said to the girls, "You mind if I borrow this?"

Stacey and Sasha looked at each other again, and contemplated that, mentioning that they would be okay with just using one oar instead of two. "Yeah, okay. I guess you can." They both nodded.

"Whoa, hold up!" Jackie interrupted, jumping down from his seat. "I paid to rent that oar!"

Wilt looked over at Jackie who was now claiming the oar, and then bent over to plead with him. "Oh, can I please borrow it, Jackie? I'll bring it right back, I promise!"

Jackie crossed his arms. "I'll let you borrow that oar on one condition; that you go get me some juice and a sandwich."

"DEAL!" Wilt exclaimed, "Just tell me what you want, and I'll get it."

"I want the BLT, with everything on it. EVERYTHING; remember that. As for the drink, get me the cider."

"What kind?"

"What kind of what?"

"What kind of _cider_ do you want?"

"What do you mean what _kind_? The cider! Apple cider!"

Wilt paused; he wasn't expecting that. "Oh, well, uh, okay." With that, he sat down his buckets and the oar, and started for the tiki bar. The girls turned, and watched him walk away.

"Gosh, and he was such a cutie," Sasha exhaled wistfully.

"I wouldn't get involved with him," Jackie interjected, "He's got a criminal background."


	3. Chapter 3

Now that Wilt had done Jackie a favor in return for borrowing the oar, he was feeling a lot better. In fact, he was feeling great. He was back out in the cool water, wrapping up part one of his "jellyfish plan". Come to find out, he was quite the jellyfish hunter. He was all geared up: the oar he had borrowed from Jackie rested across his shoulders, he had a bucket hanging on each end of the oar for containment, and his suction-cupped fingers made the perfect tool for extracting the little varmints from the water.

As he pulled the invertebrates from the water and dropped them into the bucket, one after the other, he couldn't keep his mind from wandering back to what that girl Sasha had said to him about Frankie. Why would she have said something like that? It had almost started to bother Wilt more. What if Jackie had said something to those girls about Wilt... having... certain _feelings_ for Frankie? How would Sasha have known otherwise? She _did_ act kind of funny when Frankie came up. Another thing that was troubling Wilt was the way Frankie had acted when she saw him there with those girls and Jackie. Why did she act so aggravated? After a few more minutes of brooding on the subject, he decided not to worry and not to give the situation any further thought. Even though he was familiar with the ways of the fairer sex, he wasn't even going to try to figure this one out. He never expected himself to be able to fully understand females. Who could?

On the beachside, Frankie and Mr. Herriman laid on their beach towels, soaking up some sun. They had been discussing how they had left Bloo behind at the house, and Frankie had just reminded Mr. Herriman of why they had done so on purpose.

"Pretty relaxing without him, huh?" She said, looking very content in her swimsuit and sunglasses.

Sure, it was relaxing, but Mr. Herriman couldn't help but have a sense of foreboding about the whole ordeal. "Though, I shudder to consider what kind of chaos he's causing all by himself!"

"Just don't worry about it," she replied, raising up, "We'll fall off that bridge once we get to it. Let's just enjoy the here and now, and forget about-" Frankie raised her sunglasses, looking straight towards the ocean. "What on earth is Wilt doing with those buckets?"

In curiosity, Mr. Herriman examined the shoreline, squinting, and adjusting his monocle. "It looks as if he is starting a collection of seashells of some sort," he commented, and then raised his eyebrows in alarm, "And he's not wearing a life jacket!"

"Pssh," Frankie scoffed, almost spitting in Mr. Herriman's face, "Wilt can swim."

"How can you be so sure?" Mr. Herriman rebutted with an urgent tone, leaning forward and peering out in the ocean with his hand blocking the sun from his eyes, "He only has but one arm; I dare say he could make it for very long if he were to be swept away by a disorderly current."

Frankie blew her bangs out of her face and leaned back, resting all of her weight on her palms. "Listen, Wilt taught ME how to swim. Just because he has one arm doesn't mean he can't. He's a good swimmer. In fact, he can swim better than I can."

Mr. Herriman didn't reply, so Frankie's confirmation of Wilt's swimming ability had evidently satisfied him. It was quiet for a minute, and then Frankie began to talk again. "It wasn't too long ago, actually. I used to be a little afraid of the water, but he helped me get over it, though. It was that time we all went to the community's outdoor pool, remember? He taught me how to swim in one day. Didn't even take the time to swim and have fun on his own; he helped me the whole time." Closing her eyes, she began to visually reminisce. "He let me hold onto his shoulders. We must have really looked funny like that, with him being all off-balance, with one arm, you know... but it was all good. It was... nice." She smiled at the fond memory, and then averted her eyes to the particular helpful guy himself who was still out in the ocean. "You know," she said, with a bit of intent in her eyes, "I think I'll go out there right now and help him find some seashells. Will you save my spot?"

SNORT.

The abrupt sound startled Frankie, and she looked over, only to find Mr. Herriman lying on his back with his mouth hanging wide open, snoring.

"UGH!" Frankie threw herself back onto her beach blanket in frustration. The old fart had been asleep the entire time she had been making conversation. "I might as well catch a few rays, too, while I'm at it."

"Come on now," Wilt said in a comforting voice to a jellyfish he was trying to pluck from its habitat in the water, "I don't bite." After sloshing his arm around in the water for a bit, he pulled up his large hand with a jellyfish that hung from his fingertips. "I don't sting either. Maybe you could learn a lesson from me." After that little pep talk, he gently released the jelly, letting it splash into one of the buckets that hung from the oar. "Well, that should do it." Feeling quite satisfied with his work, the lanky, red guy made his way back towards the shore, holding the oar in place that was balanced over his shoulders. On his way, he spoke aloud to the creatures he had captured. "If I could only talk to you little guys, I could have just asked you all nicely to move somewhere else, but this is just the way it's going to be. Sorry. But don't you guys worry, you all are going to get a nice, _new_ home."

Wilt approached the location on the beach where he had kept the other buckets, and sat down the two he had just filled next to them. "Whew!" he exclaimed, throwing his oar over one shoulder and looking down at the buckets. "This'll be my last trip. Hope you guys aren't too frightened. Once I get you all in the bus, you'll probably be more comfortable." Just as he finished his sentence, he heard a voice behind him.

"Co co co co co co coco?"

Wilt flinched; he hadn't suspected that anyone had been watching or listening. He spun around, and met again with Coco, a little embarrassed that she might have heard him talking to the little sea creatures. "Oh, Coco, hi!"

Coco leaned over to examine what was behind Wilt's legs. "Co coco co?"

Wilt put his hand on his hips. "I finished the job myself," he answered, "I can't say that I got _all_ of the jellyfish out, but I had to have put a dent in it."

"Co co co coco co co coco co!"

"What? No it's not! I actually think it was a pretty good idea. Even if I didn't get all of 'em, I probably helped a little. Besides, now _these_ jellyfish are safe from getting stepped on. When we all leave, I'm gonna ask Frankie if we can drop the little guys off somewhere that's away from the busy part of the beach. It's a win-win situation."

"Co co co co co cococo co co co?"

"I'm putting them all in the bus. You know all those empty water coolers in the back? I'm putting all the jellyfish in those for the ride. I got five or six of 'em filled up already. I even put some sand and water in the coolers to make 'em feel more at home. Um... I wouldn't tell Frankie or Mr. Herriman. I... kind of tracked a little sand in the bus, and they might get mad if they don't know my intentions."

Coco stared blankly at Wilt for a few moments, and then turned to walk away, mumbling something as she did.

"Hmph." Wilt smirked, and then turned back around to his little partners in crime. "Well, let's get you little fellas into the bus!"

Wilt was already quite tired from all of the trips he had made back and forth between the beach, the ocean, and the bus. His arm and legs were now a little weak, and his back was beginning to ache from carrying all those heavy buckets and moving those coolers on the bus that were filled with water as well as sand. After pondering for a while what he should do, he decided that it would be best to carry all of the buckets back to the bus in one trip, to make better time and get it over with. He took the oar from over his shoulder, and guided it carefully under the six buckets' handles. With a mighty effort, he lifted the heavy buckets with the oar and heaved it over his shoulders, almost as if he had done a weight-lifting rep. He slumped over and exhaled heavily. He grunted, and moved his feet as much as he could, making only a few inches of progress. "I've overdone it," he strained, sounding hopeless. Sweat began to roll down his face as he struggled. Before he could drop the buckets, his mind went back to the whole reason he had started. He thought about Frankie, how she had sacrificed the majority of her time at the beach caring for everyone else, not getting to have any fun, and how bored she had looked.

_Frankie deserves more than that._ As if drawing upon some source of unknown strength, Wilt's legs ceased their quivering and stood firm, his back began to straighten, and he hoisted the oar that hung heavy with buckets high on his shoulders. His lengthy right bicep jumped with spasms, and he puffed out his chest as he took his first full step forwards. Then another, and another, and another. Each step became easier than the last, and with each step, he became closer to, hopefully, spending time with the woman he loved.

While he was walking down the beach, searching for the boardwalk's path among the many people, imaginaries, and umbrellas, a rather furry, red and orange imaginary friend who was walking along with another friend noticed Wilt walking past with the oversized load. "Wowie-zowie, Wilt! That must be awfully heavy!"

The other friend added, "If it's basketball that gets you into THAT kind of shape, then that's what _I_ need to be doing!"

That motivated Wilt even more. He smiled his signature toothy smile, and looked back at the friends that passed by. "Yeah, it _is_!" He asserted, almost sounding smug. As soon as Wilt turned his head back around, he saw her.

_Her. _

There was an instant calm in the vicinity that was within Wilt's line of vision. It was almost like... like time had stopped; that was his perception. Not that the surroundings really mattered, but what his eye really focused on amongst the shoreline hustle and bustle was the most beautiful sight that he had ever had the pleasure of bearing witness to.

There she was, just ahead, walking, no, _gliding_ through the sand. She was wearing sunglasses, and had a towel draped over her right arm, and in that hand, some sort of tall, red drink. The drink, as well as her clothing choice, became clearer as she drew nearer. What immediately became clear was the fact that, well, she had certainly stripped herself of the shirt and skirt that had covered her before. 

_Whoa._

That blue bikini bared an awful lot of skin. Wilt's eyes seemed to zoom right in on the action. The strappy, skimpy bikini top's strings tugged as she walked, the blue cloth stretching across her... _Oh man... _Wilt swallowed hard, his eyes practically bugging out of their stalks. As she passed by, Wilt's gawking gaze drizzled down the redhead's body, flowing right down the curve of her waist, and, inevitably, her backside. Her lower half swayed rhythmically as she walked, and caused the ties on each side to bounce off of her rear end, which, curiously, was partially exposed on each side due to some riding up. Wilt almost couldn't believe what he was seeing, and after his gaze had drifted upwards, he realized that she was looking BACK AT HIM.

_Oh, crap._

She didn't see him looking, did she? But she had raised her sunglasses, too; when did she do that? How long had she been looking at him, exactly? He wasn't sure, but one thing he _was_ sure about was that he wasn't at all familiar with the look that she was giving him. She wasn't smiling. Then again, she wasn't frowning, either. She was just... staring. Surely she had already seen him carrying the buckets from a distance. It couldn't have been that strange a sight to her, considering all the crazy things she'd had to deal with at the house.

_Wait... Did she just... smile?_

Wilt clenched his teeth. _Aw, crap. She saw. _He felt a tingling rush of embarrassment run all over his body from head to toe, and it warmed his cheeks even more than the hot sun did. He had no idea what to do. His eyes were still locked with hers as he just kept on walking, and something crept up on him that he always tried to avoid wearing on his face. He tried to fight it, but within just a second, a goofy grin started curling up each side of his face. _Great_.

_Just grin and bear it, Wilt-man, _he said under his breath through his toothy smile, still not taking his eyes off of her. Oddly, her expression changed, her smile falling into a mere gape; right after, her mouth moved, and she turned around unexpectedly, so quickly that her feet kicked up sand.

"WILT!"

A look of confusion appeared on the large, red being's face after he had been screamed at. "What?" Instantaneously, Wilt felt his toes dig into something; something big. Something big, solid, and in the way. One foot had been stopped short of its intended place to be planted, and before he even had a chance to control his balance, his long, lanky body, along with the mass of heavy buckets, plummeted straight to the ground, giving no yield to the towers of sand beneath.

CRASH!

Buckets and heaps of water were sent flying into the air. Some of the buckets were thrown off of the oar as Wilt fell, and some collided with the ground, bouncing in recoil and making horrible, startling sounds, and many rolled all over the beach on their side. Amid the warzone of buckets and water, jellyfish were _everywhere._ Several screams were heard, and Wilt saw the feet of people running in every which direction as he pushed himself up onto his elbow in the sand.

A guttural roar interrupted all of the terrified shrieks. It scared Wilt, even though he recognized the roar. It was Eduardo, and Wilt could see him bounding all over the beach in panic, dispersing crowds and literally causing all of the buckets to rattle, and the jellyfish to quiver in the sloppy puddles of water that were now blotched all over the beach. It was pure chaos. A lifeguard ran past Wilt, blowing a whistle, followed by a couple of others, and then several groups of people ran the opposite direction. Different voices said things like "What just happened!?" and "Let's get out of here!" Another even shouted, "Someone call the police!"

_Oh no. _Wilt watched as the entire situation fell apart, with people scurrying away from the hordes of jellyfish, and being scared out of their wits by a big, purple, rampaging beast.

"WILT!" A voice called from behind. It was the same voice who had yelled at him before; only, this time, it sounded incriminating. Wilt knew what was coming by that tone of Frankie's voice. He felt like just lying there, and burying his head into the sand, but he knew he had to face her, and he could hear her footsteps coming towards him. He winced, closing his eyes, but then forced himself up off of his stomach and sat back. As he did, he noticed that his resting spot had once been a castle. It was that stupid sandcastle that had made him fall.

The sound of the footsteps stopped, and Wilt, still sitting in the sand, fearfully turned around. the red-headed beauty stood there before him with her arms crossed and her hip stuck out. "Wilt," she repeated in a low, grating voice, "What... did you... do..."

Wilt's pupils almost appeared to quiver as he looked up at her worriedly, knowing his good intentions had turned into a horrible mess. He sat there pathetically in the sand with his legs sprawled and his shoulders drooped, seemingly powerless to defend his motives, and searching for words that he was sure he wouldn't be able to find. "I... I was just... I mean... I was only trying to-"

"You ruined the whole beach! Just look at this mess!" Frankie quickly pointed a finger as if it were a dart towards the havoc the jellyfish were wreaking on the beach, her anger making itself even more apparent in her actions.

Wilt glanced back at the mess he had caused once more in shame, and then looked back up at her. "I'm so sorry, Frankie. I really didn't mean for this to happen, honest. I was just... I was just wanting to..."

Frankie interrupted Wilt again, this time, turning around and voicing her problems. "This happens every time. Every time I get the chance to relax, something has to happen. No matter how bizarre it may be, it always ends up happening to ME!" She spun around, and then pointed at Wilt, who was still sitting on the ground. "Wilt, I want you to get these stinkin' jellyfish off the beach right now. I don't care about laying on the beach, I can't anyways _now_, but if the cops get here and you're still here with all this mess, they'll get you for public endangerment! I want this cleaned up PRONTO, you got that, mister?!"

"Yes, Frankie; sure thing, you got it!" Wilt answered immediately, standing upright and in good posture. "But... uh... you really think I should put all those jellyfish back in the water where all the people swim?"

"I don't care WHAT you do with them; Just get them off this beach!"

Wilt twiddled his hand with his other arm. "Well um... there's some... empty water coolers in the back of the bus...do you think I could load them up in those, and we could take them to another part of the beach where nobody swims? Could I do that?" He smiled nervously.

"Only if you want to see me throw worst hissy fit you've ever seen."

Wilt gulped._ Oh boy._


End file.
